Quote:
Originally Posted by vhcook
Would there be any concern with Z-folding the #6 causing extra stress in the conductors?
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This is one of those times where you have to weigh the pros and cons. There might be a little breakage if you get too aggressive. On the other hand, without filling the void in the Maxi block, when you tighten the set screw, the strands spread out and up the sides of the screw. (try it and see what I mean, some of the strands will actually climb the threads of the screw.) I believe this reduces the connection to the same cross section as a #10 or #12 wire. You will find that people suggest you tin the wire with some solder before insertion. This method
on all parts of the the robot is a very bad practice. It reduces the contact area to just the top and bottom of the circumference of the wire making an equivalent in the #16-#18 range. Solder to make a connection better, not to overcome a problem with contact. I should also mention (in case someone has not seen this yet) that the Rockwell blocks require the wires to be stripped 5/8" before insertion. When you insert the wire it should come to a mechanical stop inside the block and it should be obvious that you are not clamping any insulation when you tighten the screw. If done properly, the wire will not pull out and you should have no exposed wire past the outside of the block.